Dragon Boat

One of my best experiences in Taiwan so far. The Dragon Boat festival is a traditional Chinese holiday (we got off school) that includes eating traditional Chinese rice dumplings and racing these boats with huge dragon heads at the front. It's awesome. Our Fulbright team had been pracitcing three times a week, from 6 AM to 7:30 AM, since May 1. I felt like I was in "Remember the Titans." We had a really motivating coach who knew the sport in and out, and we also had a team makeup that was unique: 2/3rds of our team are girls. Our first race was against another "co-ed" team: 18 guys and 1 girl who didn't even row. In Dragon Boat, you have the rowers, a drummer to keep the time, and someone who leans out over the boat to grab the flag (that's the finish line). It was heart-racing. It was a test of strength. It was a trial by fire. We won! We were all goin crazy. We faced a couple more teams, many composed entirely of grown men, but and we finished a respectable 5-3, the best record in Fo Guang University history (not a high bar, granted).

The team got close, and afterwards we had an all-you-can eat vegetarian team dinner to celebrate. Here's some pics and a video here. Jia you! (means "lets go!" in Chinese, literally, "give it gas!").

cheerleaders

pep talk from coach. can you feel the intensity?
dudes. from left: tony, Jack, Joseph, B, Kerry.
sweet, sweet victory. delicious
Dragon Boat festival performance

team pic

we raced fro Fo Guang University, which is a Bhuddist school, so the monks came out to support us. very sweet women, all of them

stretching between races

group photo

my bday

"go, go shawty"

It's a celebration. As many of you kind people know, May 19th is the day when I was fortunate enough to be born into this lifetime. Lemme tell you about my first birthday in Taiwan, one of the best of my life so far.

Mornin': Mary, my caring and generous roommate, bought me breakfast. I got the mixed-fruit and vegetable juice that I always get, except this time I didn't have to pay for it. done

schoolday, part 1: my co-teacher Linda brought me in a piece of cake at my desk. And then some of my students said happy birthday to me when they found out. I hadn't really mentioned it at Yuan Shan Junior High.

schoolday, part 2: This is where the magic happens. I walk in, and first thing, the security guard, who's only been there a week, wishes me happy birthday in Chinese. I'm impressed. But at the same time I'm like, "how does he know?" Then, my co-teacher James tells me, "Brett, today we have to have class in the audio-video room." I'm like, "why?" And he says we have to review some teaching video, so I'm like "ok, wtvr." I walk into the audio-video room...and...it is completely dark...suddenly...SURPRISE!" Poppers go off, a disco ball flashes on, and out come my 7th grade classes with some huge birthday posters (like the kind we used to make for each other in 6th grade) and a gigantic Taiwanese bday cake. I'm floored. I had never had a surprise party thrown for me before.

The students bday cards are super sweet, with cards written entirely in English so I know effort was put forth. here is a sample:

"Dear Brett Teacher:
When you're gone, we'll all miss you. Because Brett teacher is a good English teacher. All of your smile, you teach will always keep in our mind! Thanks for teacher's teach. Beacuse of you, I become to love study English!
Teacher, don't forget us!
And we'll never forget you, too!
Teacher, I like your smile! Remember to keep your smile on your face everyday and show to everyone. Because teacher's smile is beautiful.
-By student Nacy"

and another one:

"For Teacher Brett:
It's your birthday today. You are the best English teacher who can make us learn English happily. And I learn a lot from you. Although you are going back to the USA, we will miss you. Happy birthday to you.
Vicky, class 702"

Amazing, no?

Then in the evening, my host dad/brother James took me and Mary out for karaoke, and I rocked it, even trying out a Chinese song or two. It got real wild and real fun, I had a blast.

Earlier in the week I went out with some of the Yuan Shan teachers for a lil good ol fashioned karaoke, so all in all it was a fantastic beginning to my 24th year. pictures to follow.

We have (had) a dog!

This is old news already, but about a month or so back we got a dog. Yes, she is adorable (though somehow I always call her "boy" and "he." Maybe a bit of chauvinism there). Her name is "toudao," pronounced "toe dow ," which means "peanut" in Taiwanese. He (she) is just a few months old. We got her from this woman who owns the pizza place near Yilan University (best pizza in Yilan, for real). We just walked in one day and toudao was on a leash by the front of the shop. Apparently, the woman who owns it is a sort of humanitarian (dogatarian?). She has already taken in three stray dogs and her husband told her, "enough is enough," so she had to keep toudao at the pizza spot. Mary, my lovely and spontaneous roommate, offered to adopt her (the dog, not the woman who owns the pizza shop). And so we did. Until our landlord found out and informed us that we're not allowed to keep dogs in our building. So we had to give her back. So it goes. Anyway, she was cute, and I was really getting into owning a dog. I took her for half-hour walks every morning, and we almost had her trained to the point where she didn't defecate in our kitchen. Next time.

On a side note, I've had some weird wildlife experiences recently. The other day I was riding my scooter pretty fast down this stretch of country road on my way to school, and a dragonfly flew into my helmet. Like inside. And he didn't enjoy it either, he just buzzin around in there tryin to get out all up in my ear and everything so i had to pull over and release him. And the other day I saw a woman driving her scooter with a majestic white parrot chained to her handlebars. Another day in Yilan.

Here is a picture of an adorable creature, holding his pet dog.

classroom shots

some of you may recognize the distintive handwriting on the board. these are also kinda funny tryna help
the girl reading is Wendy. She is a superstar. tremendous enthusiasm for English
talking about myself, one of my fav topics
the advanced English class. We watched the song for "I've just seen a face" from the movie "Across the Universe"

Field Trip 1

these are also old, but i just got a hold of em. This is back in october, my first outing with my Ron Yuan students. It was like a nature field trip mixed with a trip to the Yilan traditonal arts center.

something cultural
7th graders
rapt attention
i saw the sign
who is that handsome man in the black?

Postal Museum field trip

title is self-explanatory

This is with Ron Yuan middle school, the smaller, more rural of the 2 I teach at. It' a lot diff experience than my other school, and I love it. The RY students are incredbily kind and warm, and sometimes I join their PE class and we play baseball together. BTW, a postal museum is not as boring as it sounds. The musuem is in Taipei, so already we goin to the big city. And my kids were really interested when I told them how in America you can just put the letter in a box outside your house and someone will come and pick it up.
It was cool to be with them outside of school. They got to let loose a little bit, and I got to see their fashion senses (usually they're in their school uniforms). And we watched this Chinese action movie on the bus about this woman who's kidnapped buts shes alble to find a phone and talk to one random guy who has to figure out how to save this woman he's never met. and u know I sat in the back of the bus with the cool kids

pics of me and some of my favorite students (which is all of them)
FYI, these are from January. its a lot warmer here now.

headin out in Taipei
I dont remember how to say "Mickey Mouse" in Chinese
my co-teacher, Yu-Ting and some students. Sara's in the middle, shes in my advanced English class, got a good sense of humor
can you find Teacher Brett?
me and Gary. best basketball player at Ron Yuan MS. he makes me work a lil bit, haha
me and Joe. "hello Teacher Brett!" good kid
Teacher Brett w/gangsta posse
Yu-ting and Stephanie
getting ready to go, the Principal giving us a pep talk